When it comes to our kids, we are always on the look out for ways to entertain them. Play for me when I was a kid meant heading to the playground, and getting covered in sand; it meant heading to the jetty with my uncles to go fishing; it meant going to the beach for some cycling.

These days, playgrounds are “safe” with padded flooring; we prefer to bring the kids to indoor playgrounds where it is cooler; we head to the zoo; we go to museums; we head to water-parks. The husband and I were concerned about how technology was easily creeping into our lives (the kids know how to switch on the tv first thing in the morning *sigh*) and I wanted to make sure that they had their share of outdoor activities.

But sometimes, it may be inconvenient for us to head outdoors due to transport, and indoor playgrounds can get expensive (prices start from $20 onwards), and when you get people like Daddy Ting who doesn’t think much of the playground behind our block (so dirty!)

What happens next? Well..start cracking, you’ll be surprised how far your imagination can take you (with some retail help obviously!)

One of the earlier activities I remember doing with Ollie was to line all the stuffed animals we had around the house. It was during the super bad haze of 2013. We couldn’t go out for days and it was driving us insane. So I placed him on a push-ride and we pretended that we were on the tram at the zoo! Haha, it gave me an opportunity to teach Ollie a little more about the animals, how we could be spelling them, and what food they might eat.

When Ollie was older, I decided that he should write a book! We wrote simple one liner stories about our family. We have a really huge family (extended family included). I would write the words he sorta dictated (lots of prompting going on) and he would draw how each family member looked like.

Thinking back..it was really loads of fun doing all these activities! And even today, Ollie still looks forward to all these activities. A little brain draining but wahh ..need to encourage these kind of imagination! Err and ironically, thankful for the internet for wonderful ideas to keep the kids engaged!

This month’s issue of Singapore’s Child provides some little tips on how to engage your child in natural play, both indoors and outdoors! I’m all for getting down and dirty for the kids to reconnect back with nature. I am just missing a backyard..argh (apartment gardening didn’t really work out due to my lack of green fingers..though we did have some lessons in how seeds germinated!). So do grab your issue of Singapore’s Child!

I was also going through the Singapore’s Child website and my top pick for this month is definitely the article on picky eating. You have NO idea how picky Ollie is about his food. When it is his favourite food, I definitely don’t have to worry about him eating even double portions of it. When it comes to new food..URGH. He eyes it suspiciously, asks us what it is, and maaaaybe, just maybe he will give it a tentative lick, and he may accept it. Or he will say yucks and never touch it again. To give you an idea, Ollie hasn’t eaten fresh fruit in over a year.

I did figure that maybe we didn’t have a habit of eating fruits in front of him. Most of the times we will have dinner together, and that was about it. There are no issues with most vegetables, but fruits. He would rather forgo gummies, chocolates, and even his favourite marshmallows, than to eat, or even lick a fruit. How leh how leh?? We do look for alternative foods that he may be willing to try to ensure that he has a balanced diet, and gets enough nutrients. Here’s to hoping that he will be more receptive to newer foods as he grows older!

With QT? Pfffpt..never had a problem. This kiddo loves his food so much that he will gamely try anything. He even loves the pickled ginger that they serve at sushi joints, or julienned ginger that is served with xiao long baos! Argh..what did I do wrong with Ollie that I did right with QT har??

Disclaimer: tings.sg is the Digital Partner for Singapore’s Child and I received a complimentary issue of the magazine for review purposes. All opinions are solely mine and are written as objectively as possible.

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